Ore-concentrator



No. 6I4,322.

(No Model.)

S. l. HALLETT. ORE CONCENTRATOR.

(Application med .Tm 29, 1898.-)

ffy. j.

Patented Nov. l5, i898.

TN: wams PETERS co. Pnoau'mo., wAsmNGTcu. n. c4

NITED STATES PATENT OFFIC.

SAMUEL IRVING HALLETT, OF ASPEN, COLORADO, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO DAVIDM. HYMAN, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO.

ORE-CONCENTRATOR.

sPncIrIcATIoN forming part of Letters Patent No'. 614,322, datedNovember 15, 189s.

Original application filed September 16, 1897, Serial No. 651,877.Divided and this application filed January 29, 1898. Serial No.

' 668,419. (No model.)

To tZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL IRvINc HAL- LETT, a citizen of theUnitedStates, residing at Aspen, in the county of Pitkin and State ofColorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inOre-Concentrators and I do hereby declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

My invention relates to ore-concentrators, or that class of machines orapparatus employed for concentrating or separating and grading mineralsubstances of different specific gravities, and more particularly toapparatus operating to carry out the Wet process of concentrating ores,whereby ores of various kinds may be washed and concentrated and thevaluable minerals separated and graded with economy of time and labor.

The invention is especially designed for use in connection withore-concentrators of that class in which the crushed ore is distributedupon and caused to move or flow along a plane surface or table to whichis imparted a combination of shaking and rocking motions, whereby theconcentrates or particles of mineral settling on the surface of thetable are carried along and discharged in different classes or grades atone end or side of the table, while the gangue and refuse matter arecarried off at the side or end of the' table opposite thedistributing-launder.

The primary objects of my invention are to provide simple, inexpensive,and efficient means for separating the ore and for collecting the samein different grades or classes, so that in treating ores containingminerals of dierent specific gravities the different minerals may beseparated and collected in their respective classes or grades, and toprovide a table which shall efficiently separate and collect the fineror lighter and unsized mineral substances or float-mineral which in theoperation of concentrators as generally heretofore constructed is eithercarried olf with the gangue or collected in the form of middlings andreturnedto the feed-trough for retreatment with the fresh material beingfed into the feed-trough,with consequent loss of energy and waste ofvaluable metallic substances.

The invention will rst be hereinafter more particularly described, withreference to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of thisspecification, and then pointed out in the claims at the end of thedescription.

Referring to the drawings, Figure l represents a top or plan view of anore-concentrating table and its attachments embodying my invention. Fig.2 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line II II of Fig. 1. Fig.' 3is a detail front view of the distributing-launder. Fig. 3nM is alongitudinal sectional View taken on line III III of Fig. l.

In the drawings, in which similar letters of reference are used todenote corresponding parts in different views, A-denotes the table,which is suitably supported to adapt it to have imparted thereto by anysuitable mechanism in common use a combination of shaking and rockingmotions or any desired movement for accomplishing the desired results.As shown, it is mounted on posts or legs b the upper ends of which are.pivotally connected to the under side of the table, while the lower endsthereof are pivotally connected with and rest upon suitable frame piecesor bars B, which latter may rest upon a suitable support or frame O, asshown, or in any proper manner, suitable devices, as screws oradjustable Wedges c,being interposed between the bars B and frame O forvarying the inclination of the table.

The table is provided with a riffled or grooved surface and with anunriffled or smooth surface, as shown, said rifiies or grooves extendingalong the surface of the table transversely or obliquely to thedirection or line of movement of said table and tapering or diminishingin depth toward the unriffled portion. In the form shown in the drawingsthe riflied and unriffied surfaces are obtained by providing the tablewith a me- 95 tallic sheet or facing a, in which is formed a series oflongitudinal grooves, channels, or recesses et', which preferably extendfrom the rear end of the table toward the front or discharge endthereof, with a slight rearward in- IOO clination, and terminate asufficient distance from the receiving or discharge end or side of thetable to leave a clear unobstructed smooth surface extending the lengthof the table on the side thereof adjacent to the distributing-lannders,as shown more clearly in Fig. l.

The metallic surface or covering of the table preferably consists of ametal having an affinity for the particular metal contained in the oreunder treatment and which is the more valuable and desirable to beseparatedas, for instance, lead in treating lead ore or a silver sheetor coating in treating gold ore.

The grooves a taper from end to endthat is to say, they graduallydecrease in depth from the front or receiving end thereof to theiropposite terminals, where they merge into the smooth unobstructedsurface of the table-top.

At or near the receiving end or side of the table and on that portionthereof on which the crushed ore or pulp is delivered from thedistributing-launder I provide a removable wearing-plate A,which mayconsist of a sheetmetal or othersuitable plate having one edge or anglethereof secured to the frame piece or bar c2,while the other portion oredge thereof overlaps and rests upon the surface of the table, as shownmore clearly in Fig. 2. By this means when that portion of the tablewhich is most subject to wear becomes worn and in need of repairs thewearing-plate may be removed and a new one substituted in its steadwithout necessitating the renewal of the entire metallic surface of thetable or the substitution of a new table-top, as is usual in usingore-concentrators as heretofore constructed.

The distributing-launder D may be formed with two or more compartments dd', the compartment CZ being adapted to receive thefpulp or crushed orefrom a suitable conduit or pipe E, as indicated in Fig. 2, while thecompartment d is adapted to receive the water for washing the ore from asuitable conduit or pipe. The ore-compartment CZ of the launder D isprovided on the discharge side thereof with a series of holes orperforations cl2, through which the pulp or ore mixed with water ispermitted to escape onto the surface of the table. The upper edge ofthat side of the compartment d nearest the table is preferably notchedor serrated, as at d3, in order that the water used for washing the oreas it passes downward toward the front or lower end of the table may bemore evenly and smoothly distributed without splashing or spurting ontothe table in greater volume or withgreater force at any one pointthan atother points along the table, thus insuring an even distribution andsmooth ow of the water across the table for the purpose of washing theore and drawing olf the lighter mate rial and gangue into a water box ortrough F, extending along underneath the edge of the table at that sidethereof opposite the distributing-launder. At the front or discharge'end of the table is placed a sectional trough or launder G to receivethe heavier particles of mineral or valuable metal separated from theore.

In the operation of the table the ore is fed into the compartment d ofreceiving launder or trough D, while the wash-water, which is locatedfarther down the length of the table and which is used to wash the oreas it passes downward toward the discharge end, is fed into thecompartment CZ and flows over the top or serrated edge cl3 of saidcompartment, so as to secure an even distribution and gentle flowthereof without spurting. At the same time a reciprocating movementdifferential in its action, with the strength of the longest throw orbump toward the discharge end of the table, is imparted to the table byany suitable mechanism connecting with the pitman I, which may beapplied at either end of the table, so as to cause the ore to move alongor over the surface of the table toward the discharge end thereof,whereby as the ore is moved along it is washed all the way at rightangles by the water issuing from the compartment LZ' of the launder,thus washing the lighter material and gangue toward the opposite side ofthe table and into the trough or box F, from which the gangue and wastemay flow off into any suitable receptacle or conduit provided therefor.The heavier ore or valuable material to be recovered remains scatteredalong the smooth surface of the table, above the terminals of theinclined grooves or channels a', and is discharged at the end of thetable into the receiving-launder G, while the Viioat-lead or lighterparticles of mineral that are not sized, as is the heavier lead orparticles, are caught in the grooves ct and caused to gradually workbackward and toward the discharge end of the table, so as to be broughtback into the plane of the body of ore or valuable metal, which takes aposition forward of an imaginary line running the length of the tableoutside of the terminals of the aforesaid grooves or slot-s, whereby thevery fine iioat-lead or other float-mineral is separated and recoveredwith the larger particles of like kind and specific gravity instead ofbeing carried over and discharged into a middlin gs receiver orreceptacle, as heretofore, and conveyed back to the distributing-launderto be again run over the table, with consequent loss resulting from thefact that the material which is so tinelypulverized as to be oncedischarged and again returned to the table will seek the same place asbefore and be run again and again into the middlings-receptacle andreturned until worn by attrition so fine that it will pass off with thedirty water into the waste. The inclined sloping rifiies or grooves,which run against the slant of the table, cause the float-mineral to becarried back to the place it should not have left, while allowing thewaste to pass over it and off into the IIO trough or receptacle toreceive the same, thus saving the valuable float material with theheavier ore that lies along the upper line or surface of the tablebeyond the terminals of the grooves. I thus avoid all intricate savingsand returnings and accomplish what has hitherto been attempted to beaccomplished by returning the same ore to be run over two or more times.The mineral of less specific gravity and of a differentclass from thatwhich is discharged into the first compartment or section of thesectional launder will be carried farther across the table and will bedischarged into the second section or compartment, While the material ofthe next or third class will be discharged into the third section orcompartment, thus separating and collecting the different grades orclasses of material into two or more classes, the first of which, forinstance, may be lead, the second iron, and the third zinc, according tothe ore under treatment, the same rule applying to any minerals havingdifferent specific gravities.

By constructing the surface of the table of metal having an affinity forthe particular metal it is desired to recover from the ore undertreatment the separation and collection thereof is greatly facilitatedand a more complete separation is effected than is possible under theusual conditions.

The desired differential movement or bump ing action may be imparted tothe table by any suitable mechanism such as has heretofore been employedin devices of a similar character and which it is unnecessary toilustrate or describe herein, inasmuch as my invention resides in theconstruction of the table and its attachments and not in the mechanismfor imparting the desired vibratory or reciprocating movements thereto.I may mention, however, as a desirable movement that which hasheretofore been employed with what is known as the Rittinger table, madein Germany many years ago and which has been in use in this country formany years, in which there is a side movement or bumping action combinedwith the transverse washing of the ore.

It will be understood, of course,. that the form and construction of theparts hereinbefore described may be modified in a number of ways withoutdeparting from the spirit of my invention, and hence I do not desire tobe limited to the exact construction shown and described.

This application` is a division of an original application filed by meSeptember 16, 1897, and in which the sectional receivinglaunderhereinbefore briefly referred to is made the subject of claims.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. In a concentrator, a table provided with tapered riffles which mergeinto the table-surface along a line oblique to said table.

2. An ore-concentrating table adapted to the wet process of separatingores, having a smooth upper surface extending along the side thereof onwhich the ore and water are received,land a series of spaced grooves orchannels ex-tending over the surface thereof at one side of said smoothportion toward its discharging end; the said grooves graduallydiminishing in depth from their receiving to their delivery ends andinclined toward and merging in said smooth surface, substantially asdescribed.

3. In an ore-concentrator, the combination of an endwise-reciprocatorytransversely-inclined table having a series of grooves or channels inits surface extending toward the discharging end of the table andgradually diminishing in depth or tapering in a vertical plane fromtheir receiving ends and merging into a smooth unobstructed surface ofthe ta ble which extends along the higher side of the latter and acrossits discharging end; and means for distributing ore and water over thetable from along its higher side.

4. In an ore-concentrator, the combination of an endwise-reciprocatorytransversely-inclined table having a series of diagonally-ex tendinggrooves or channels in its surface di minishing in depth or tapering ina vertical plane from their receiving ends toward the discharge end ofthe table and merging into a smooth unobstructed surface of the latterwhich extends alongitshigher side and across its discharging end; andmeans for distributing ore and water over the table at its higher side.

5. In a concentrator, a table provided with tapered riffles which extendalong the tablesurface transversely or obliquely across the line ofmovement of the table and terminate along a line oblique to said table.

6. In a concentrator, a table provided with a riftled and an unriffledsurface; said riffles tapering toward the unrifed portion and extendingin a direction oblique to the direction or line of movement of thetable.

7. In a concentrator, a table provided with a rifiied and an unriftledsurface; the riftles extending transversely or obliquely across the lineof movement of the table, and tapering or diminishing in depth towardthe unriffled portion.

8. A table for ore-concentrators having its surface provided with aseries of longitudinal grooves or riftles diminishing in height from the-head toward the tail and extending obliquely across the surface of thetable and terminating on a line oblique to the table.

9. A table for ore-concentrators having its surface provided withtapered grooves or rifiiles diminishing in height from the head to thetail; said rifies diminishing in length from the rear to the front orfeed end of said table, substantially as described.

l0. In combination, a table for ore-concentrators grooved or riffiedlongitudinally from head to tail; said grooves being tapered and IIO IZO

diminishing in height froni the head tovvard the tail end of the table,and the feed near the head end of the bed arranged to discharge Jshepulp transversely across the deeper parts of the grooves, sbsantially asdescribed.

11. In combination, a bed or talole for c'oneentrato'rs grooved oroorrdgated longitudinally from head to tail; said corrugations beingdeeper at the head and diminishing in ro height toward the tail end ofthe bed, and the feed near the head 'end of the bed arranged todischarge the pulp transversely across lche deeper parts of theeorrugations, substantially as desoribed.

In testimony whereof I anx my signature 15' in presence of twoWitnesses.

SAMUEL IRVING HALLE'VI. lVitnesses:

ELIAS COHN, ROBER'T WOODBRIDGE;

